News from UMass Lowell for Week of March 29, 2010

This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of Public Affairs, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “UML in the News.” Please note, contact names below are for the media and are not intended to be published.

Click on the following links to learn more about what’s in this issue:

What: Dr. John J. Ratey, author of “SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” will discuss the science behind the brain-body connection and how his work is helping communities and youths get moving again. Hosted by UMass Lowell’s Exercise Physiology Club.

What: Two-time Olympian Caitlin Cahow, who won a silver medal with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team, will join John Powers, Boston sportswriter, to discuss the politics surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, recently held in Vancouver. Sponsored by UMass Lowell’s Politics and Sports program.

What: Cobham Sensor Systems will be honored by the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Program and state Sen. Steve Panagiotakos for environmental leadership at its Lowell facility (formerly M/A-COM). The company is one of only 17 companies across the Commonwealth being recognized by legislators and TURA partners ߝ the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at UMass Lowell, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Technical Assistance. The awards and facility tours are intended to showcase environmental accomplishments ߝ use of safer materials, waste reduction and energy savings ߝ since the Toxics Use Reduction Act was enacted in 1989. Pre-registration is required to attend this event.

What: President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act one year ago, culminating a decades-long battle to achieve equal pay for women. Ledbetter will be on campus to share the riveting story of her fight ߝ all the way to the Supreme Court and beyond. Ledbetter was a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire plant when she discovered she had been paid significantly less than men doing the same job. Co-sponsors include the Boston Women’s Commission and Middlesex Community College. April 20 is Pay Equity Day.

What: More than 30 UMass Lowell faculty members will present their breakthrough research on nanomanufacturing at the Fourth Annual Nano Summit. The directors of the Nanomanufacturing Center at UMass Lowell ߝ professors Joey Mead and Carol Barry ߝ are hosting the showcase that includes advancements in nano use in electronics, medicine, materials and environmental health and safety. Speakers include Dana Granville of the Army Research Laboratory and Michael McGee of Nypro Inc.

What: Members of the Borromeo String Quartet will perform music by Bach, Lera Auerbach and Beethoven at an evening concert at UMass Lowell. The quartet ߝ based in Boston and famous worldwide ߝ is one of the most sought-after chamber groups in the world. Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2007, the group has performed in the world’s most illustrious recital halls, including the Opera Bastille in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London and the Kennedy Center and National Gallery in Washington. This performance, which is part of UMass Lowell’s Music on the Merrimack concert series, is free and open to the public.

What: A panel of leading women sport reporters will be on campus to speak on the topic of “Women TV Reporters: Stuck on the Sidelines?” The group will discuss the lack of opportunities for women in sports as play-by-play announcers or color analysts in major league games. The speakers include Lesley Visser, the foremost pioneer of American women TV sports reporters; Jackie MacMullan, freelance sportswriter and NBA columnist for ESPN.com; Wendi Nix, ESPN reporter and Carolyn Manno, reporter and anchor for Comcast SportsNet New England. The event, sponsored by several UMass Lowell departments and programs, is open to the public.